The snow storms which paralysed Britain may have cost businesses battling the credit crunch up to £1 billion.
The 10 centimetres (four inches) of snow which coated London, Europe's financial capital, on Monday virtually shut down air, rail and road links, forcing thousands of workers to stay at home in the worst storms in 18 years.
With Britain in recession and facing what the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says will be the worst slump in the developed world, the rare cold snap risks putting many struggling businesses into the deep freeze for good.
The Federation of Small Businesses, which represents over 200,000 businessmen, said one in five people did not make it to work on one particular day, costing employers up to £1.2 billion.
Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, suggested several thousand firms could go bankrupt after the snow in Britain, especially if it lingers.
"If it leads to delayed payments, the combined hit on profits and cashflow could send many businesses who might be close to the brink into premature bankruptcy," he told the Guardian newspaper.
Howard Archer of analysts IHS Global Insight warned: "Any disruption to business is the very last thing that the UK economy needs in its current extremely weak state."
